Fruitful Vine Doula

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Fruitful Vine Doula

Hi, I’m Maddie! I’m a birth and postpartum doula in Louisville KY. My goal is to support women f

04/11/2022

Did you know that over 31% of births in the US are c-sections?

Unfortunately, this number is over 3x the global recommendation for c sections. Ideally, they would make up only 10 percent of births.

While cesareans can absolutely be life saving, they are also overprescribed. When birth is viewed as a natural process rather than something that always requires outside help, there’s less of a chance that a cesarean will happen.

Having a cesarean is not “the easy way out”. It’s a major abdominal surgery, and recovery can take a lot longer.

Did you have a C-section? If so, what was your experience like?

04/04/2022

Expecting a baby this year? Consider hiring a birth or postpartum doula! Here’s my updated availability for the next few months. Schedule a consultation at the link in bio, I’d love to support you for your birth, postpartum, or both!

03/22/2022

Happy World Doula Week!

Women supported by a doula typically have a shorter labor, are less likely to have a cesarean, are more satisfied with their birth experience, and their babies are more likely to have a better APGAR score after birth.

Doulas are great for postpartum too! Having a postpartum doula allows you to rest with your baby while they help with housework, meal prep, and keeping you fed.

If you’re expecting a baby this year, hire a doula!

03/11/2022

Routine cervical exams during pregnancy are fairly common today, but are they necessary? Other than telling how dilated your cervix is, there's been no research to indicate that routine exams, whether during pregnancy or labor, result in better outcomes. Some women choose to have their cervix checked because they want to know how dilated they are, but most don't know that they aren't necessary. You can opt out and say no to any intervention or test, even the "routine" ones.

You may have a check at 38 weeks and find out you aren't dilated at all, then go into labor that day. Or you may be at a 3 for weeks before labor begins! Cervical exams can't tell you when you'll go into labor.

Ultimately, whether you choose to receive cervical checks during pregnancy or labor is up to you. But don't feel pressured into being checked just because your provider wants to.

01/26/2022

Here’s my updated availability from February to April.

If you’re due soon and wanting to hire a doula, now is the time! I’d love to chat and discuss how I can support you during labor and postpartum!

01/21/2022

I'm very excited to announce I have a new website! The link to visit it is in my bio, or you can just go to fruitfulvinedoula.com
Feel free to share!

01/10/2022

If you or your baby becomes sick, the best thing to do is continuing to breastfeed!

As your baby nurses, your milk changes to provide them with the exact nutrients that they need, and this continues even while one (or both) of you is sick. Breast milk from a mother who is sick will look different than normal. It may be a different color, and will probably be more fatty than usual. Breast milk composition changes throughout the duration of an illness, and contains cells that fight off infection, which are passed directly to your baby!

Lots of skin to skin is important too! Staying close and continuing to nurse helps your supply stay up, along with remembering to stay hydrated.

Nursing a baby while sick isn’t always easy, but it’s the best way to protect them and keep them healthy!

01/05/2022

When it comes to pregnancy and birth, here’s the experience most women are unfortunately familiar with.

•Short prenatals in which you’re told what to do, and not expected to question anything
•Pressure to accept any and all “routine” procedures without an explanation as to why they’re necessary
•Being sent home shortly after birth with nothing but your baby, and being expected to know exactly what to do
•A short appointment 6 weeks after giving birth, in which you’re asked which birth control you want
•Being expected, or even pressured, to go back to work shortly after giving birth, with no regard to your recovery, whether physical or mental

Does this sound familiar? Our culture puts so much pressure on “bouncing back” from pregnancy and childbirth, rather than putting an emphasis on healing and recovering. Postpartum lasts so much longer than the 6 week checkup.

Physically, women are not completely recovered from giving birth until 1 year. Not to mention the rise of postpartum depression being experienced. Maybe if our culture cared more about “mothering” the newly postpartum mom, there would be far less instances of women entering motherhood feeling alone and neglected.

Here are some practical ways to offer support to a new mother, whether it’s her first baby or her fourth.

•Rather than throwing an elaborate baby shower with expensive gifts, hire a postpartum doula to support her in those early days.

•Create a meal train to take some pressure off of wondering what’s for dinner. It’s a simple gesture that will go a long way in promoting rest.

•Visit her, but not to hold the baby. One of the most practical things you can do is dropping by to do a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, or pick up groceries.

Most of the time, a mother doesn’t need someone to hold the baby; she needs someone to handle the other things so she can enjoy being a mother.

01/01/2022

Happy New Year!

As we welcome 2022, even with all its uncertainties, babies will still be born, and mothers will still need support both during pregnancy and after the birth of their babies.

Why not hire a doula to help support you? Women supported by a doula are 25% less likely to need a cesarean, their labors are on average 40 minutes shorter, and both mom and her baby are more likely to have better health outcomes!

Doulas are also helpful in the early postpartum days. They give an extra helping hand with grocery runs, meal prep, basic baby care instructions, and more!

Are you welcoming a new baby this year? If so, hire a doula!

12/18/2021

With Christmas right around the corner, there may be pressure to schedule an induction if you’re due soon. While it’s understandable that having a baby on Christmas may be stressful, a baby will be born when they want to! Especially for those wanting an unmedicated birth, having an induction simply because it’s the holiday season may not be worth it, since one intervention typically leads to another.

Some doctors may also pressure moms to induce, mainly for the reason that they don’t want to have to deliver a Christmas baby. But it’s unfair to put pressure on a mom to make such a huge medical decision that she may not want, simply for convenience for a doctor.

Obviously, if you choose to induce, and you’re educated on the pros and cons, go for it! But don’t let your doctor or anyone else pressure you into making that decision, it’s ultimately up to you whether you induce or not.

Did you have a Christmas baby?

12/13/2021

The vast majority of births in the US take place in a hospital setting, while just a small percentage (less than 1%) of births occur at home. There’s a stigma surrounding home births that makes most people think they’re dangerous and irresponsible. But multiple studies have proven that home birth is just as safe, if not more so, than a hospital birth.

Home birth midwives are highly trained and educated professionals that specialize in caring for low risk, healthy pregnant women. A big concern about home birth is “what if something goes wrong?” For example, some concerns may be a postpartum hemorrhage or a baby needing resuscitation. Midwives are skilled in their work and trained to handle emergencies that may may arise in birth. Other than performing a C-section or giving an epidural, there’s really not much a midwife isn’t trained to handle!

Also, transferring to a hospital may be necessary during a home birth. This doesn’t mean it was a failed home birth, it just means that options were weighed and the safest choice would be to transfer.

Note: this post is in no way shaming those who choose to birth at a hospital, it’s simply stating that home birth is also a valid choice and is safe.

12/04/2021

Informed Consent means that you are able to weigh your options, compare pros and cons, and make an informed decision involving you and your baby’s health.

During pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, your provider has the responsibility to inform you of your options. No test or procedure is mandatory, and you have the right to ask questions about anything that’s offered to you.

Your healthcare provider works for you, not the other way around. If they are dodging questions, pressuring you to make a certain choice, or simply refusing to tell you risks associated with a test or procedure, you can fire them and find a new provider that supports you in your choices.

Unless you or your baby’s life is at risk, there is time for you to weigh the facts and come to a decision that you feel is best for you and your baby.

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Louisville, KY

Telephone

+18123919228

Website

http://fruitfulvinedoula.com/

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